THE chilly conditions are being blamed on the coldest Atlantic temperatures since records began 80 years ago, with Scotland in for especially "full-on cold spells," according to AccuWeather.

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Forecasters have warned of 36 days of snow or ice across the winter months as temperatures get set to hit lows of -16C.

The chilly conditions are being blamed on the coldest Atlantic temperatures since records began 80 years ago, with Scotland and the north of England in for especially "full-on cold spells," according to AccuWeather.

And there are fears of travel chaos during the festive season, with London set for five days of snow or ice.

"Northern England faces colder-than-normal periods, some of which could affect southern England, and Scotland is forecast a colder than normal winter.

"Given recent past winters' minimum temperatures of -8C to -21C, lows of that level are possible this winter."

Danny Lawson/PA

Sheep on a farm near the Bridge of Cally in Scotland

Ladbrokes cut the odds on temperatures falling to -16C, which would be Britain's coldest temperature since December 2010's -21C Big Freeze.

Odds on the UK enjoying a white Christmas have also fallen from 5/1 to 2/1.

A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "The mercury looks like dropping as fast as the odds in a brutal winter."

The winter chill is due to a cold 1,500-mile wide swathe of the North Atlantic starting 500 miles west of Britain.

The tranche of ocean is the coldest since records began before 1935, and forecast to cool Britain's usual mild westerly winds.

Experts blamed the record cold ocean temperatures on the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, also feared to be slowing the Gulf Stream, which pushes warm currents towards Britain.

The US Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather department said: "The area of ocean had its coldest January to August in at least 80 years of records."

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Arctic air will add to the shivers, Mr Roys said, adding: "The Atlantic is very cold off the coast of Britain, which will cool weather systems as they move to in. Cold air is also expected from the Arctic."

The Met Office has not issued a winter forecast but has warned of more Atlantic storms than normal until the end of December, meaning gales, washouts and flood risks ahead.

The Met Office October to December forecast said: “Spells of windy or stormy weather are more likely than is usual.”